Why a small business sales plan is an essential part of your marketing plan.

Why a small business sales plan is an essential part of your marketing plan.

Why is it that people in small businesses usually do not create and implement a written "marketing plan"? And, why is it that people in a small business also don't usually implement a "sales plan" to compliment a marketing plan? Even if you have a plan in mind, how are you tracking your activities?

These are questions I ponder every day when I talk to small business owners. If your vision of the "marketing plan" is not aligned with the value it brings to your business, you should take a step back and rethink your goals, vision and mission statements. Must watch again.

Your marketing plan is at its best when you are tracking your sales activities, which are linked to your marketing plan and who your ideal client is, what they want, and how they want it! The key is to use tactical marketing versus strategic marketing.

Knowing your client's hot buttons, accessibility needs, what they're thinking, and how you're different from their last coach will give you the edge you need to find qualified clients. Try to enter the thinking that is going through your client's mind during the decision-making process.

A sales plan is absolutely essential to maximizing your marketing efforts and execution. This will determine whether you run your business with a revenue or expense focus. Ironically, we should all be focused on income. (Another day, we'll talk about Pareto's 80/20 principle, which is very interesting when you break down your daily activities).

If you're a visual person, mind mapping is an effective way to structure your sales process. Creating a sales process, while it may seem administrative, is actually a sales tool rather than a negative.

Consider the following questions as they relate to your sales and marketing plans simultaneously:

➤ Do I have a written marketing plan and is it effectively aligned with the values of my mission and vision statements? Do my daily activities reflect the actions needed to support my vision and mission statements?

➤ Am I meeting my financial expectations? Is the business making money? Can I take on more customers? What do I need to do to increase business, sales and revenue?

➤ Do I have a different perspective that sets me apart, or a bold statement that I can back up with action?

➤ Do I have the opportunity to raise prices based on demand, my competitors and the market?

The common thread with small business growth is a well-thought-out marketing and sales plan. Once you have them in place and implemented, your "ideal client" will become clear to you and your prospects.

This is when you define who your "qualified client" is and focus 80% of your time on those prospects. You and your client will experience a win-win.